Burn Baby Burn
by al-star
Summary: 1930 Noire AU. A mysterious lady called Riza Hawkeye ask Private Mustang's help to solve a strange disappearance.
1. The Contract

**Part one: The Contract**

**Pairing: Royai**

**Rated: K as of now. Rating will change.**

**Notes: This is a 1930 Noire AU. Roy is a private detective and Riza request his help to solve a case.**

It was a sunny afternoon, but Private Roy Mustang's office was dark because of the buildings surrounding his small the complex. It was also dark because of the cigarette smoke that kept accumulating in the air. Private Mustang hasn't had a single contract in a month and was beginning to desperate about getting a new one any time soon.

The ash of his cigarette fell on his desk, forcing him to stop spacing out. He quickly cleaned the mess and took another cigarette from his pocket. At the same moment that he was lighting his cigarette, someone knocked on the door. Roy was a bit surprised, almost not expecting anyone anymore. He moved his cigarette from his mouth to his hand and told his visitor to come in. The woman that entered was quite different from his usual clients. Normally, people coming to seek his help were either weird older women who lost her cat or suspicious people who were probably into illegal business. But this woman was different. She was a young woman well dressed and actually quite attractive. She had the most beautiful blond waving hair, put in a perfect bun on the side, with some loose strands on the left side of her forehead. She had a simple buttoned up navy blue dress, yet it fitted her perfectly. She entered with confidence, looking almost dangerous. She closed the door behind her and, putting her coat down, sat in front on Roy's desk.

"Good evening, miss…" he began.

"Hawkeye. Riza Hawkeye" she replied.

She had a slightly low voice tone. It was a bit whimsical, but still serious. She held out her hand, which he took. Her handshake was much more firm than what you would expect from a young lady like her.

"Roy Mustang. So, what can I do for you, Miss Hawkeye?"

She put an envelope on his desk, and took out a thick file and a bunch of pictures. She slid a picture of a middle-aged man toward him.

"This is my father. He's been missing for a few months now, but the police has yet to find anything. I'd like you to find him."

Roy took the picture and observed it for a while, then looked back at Riza.

"And you trust me to do a better job than the town's police force?" he questioned.

"If there are private detectives like you in Central, it's because the police force cannot do their job correctly" she answered bluntly.

He laughed openly at her straight-forward comment.

"Very well. Is that the case file?" he asked.

"Yes. It's not all of it, since there's some confidential information, but the essential's in there" she replied.

Riza took a look at her pocket watch, then took her coat and stood up.

"I have to leave now, but I'll come back tomorrow. That way it'll give you time to get acquainted with the case"

She walked toward the door and Roy stood to bid her goodbye, but she stopped, the hand on the doorknob.

"Oh, and you'll understand that I'd like you to abstain investigating without me" she added.

"Of course."

"Then see you tomorrow, Mister Mustang" she smiled.

Since he now had a contract, Roy decided to go home earlier and read the police's file. But first, he wanted to investigate the woman that gave him the file. He always did a bit of investigation on his client, it was normal for any detective. After all, you want to know with what kind of person you're working with.

He settled at his desk to make a phone call. He had a few contacts in the police force, so he used them to confirm the story about her father disappearance. He dialed the same number he did every time he had a contract, because he knew he could always count on that person to get his information.

"Central police station, Hughes speaking" answered the familiar voice.

"Hey it's me" Roy said.

"Hey Roy! It's been a while since you've called the station" greeted Hughes.

"Well it's been a while since I've got a contract so…" Roy began.

"Do you really need an excuse to call an old friend?" Hughes blamed him.

Roy sighed, knowing that his usual blaming and constant talking about his family was coming.

"Have you called me, you would've known that my daughter recently learned how to dress herself up and tie her shoes properly. Isn't it amazing?" he continued.

"Look Hughes, it's great and everything, but I don't have time right now. I need you to verify some information for me" Roy pressed.

"Alright then, what do you need?" Hughes said in a more serious tone.

Roy flipped open the file Riza gave him earlier.

"I need you to tell me about a disappearance case. The guy's been missing a few months ago but the police has yet to find anything. It seems he would've been reported missing after a drinking night out at some jazz bar" Roy began.

"Yep I know about the case. I didn't work on it, but it was well known around here" Hughes cut him off.

"Alright, then I need all the information you can give me about this. Also, if you find any information about his daughter, I would need those too. The name's Riza Hawkeye."

"You got it. I'll you back as soon as I get what you need."

They hung up and Roy began looking through the file. It wasn't anything really helpful, basically just the facts already known by the public. It seemed the guy was last seen when he left the bar with a bunch of friends. However, he never reached his home. He searched a bit further in the file for any information about his family or the friends he was with the night he disappeared, but there wasn't anything, which was weird. Roy decided to let it go for the night and wait for his friend's call to conclude anything.

It was faint, but Roy had a weird feeling about the contract, especially about the woman that gave it to him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about the way she acted, the way she talked, that made him uncomfortable. But still, it made him excited. It would probably be the most interesting case he worked on lately.

Hughes didn't call him back at all that evening, like he usually did. Roy thought that maybe he had found something special, but then again, maybe he was only busy with work. He didn't think much about it and went to bed early to be in good shape for Riza's visit the day after. But right in the middle of the night, Roy's phone rang, waking him up. He answered in a grumpy voice.

"Sorry to call you this late at night, but I guessed you'd like to hear this as soon as possible" Hughes began.

"What is it?" Roy asked curiously.

"I had a hard time finding any information on your woman. I finally realized that it was because she's not the daughter of the man who disappeared. Her father is called Berthold Hawkeye and has already been dead for quite some time" Hughes revealed.

Roy hunch was right after all. He noted down everything that Hughes told him about the case and Riza Hawkeye and satisfied, hung up. Roy smirked, even more excited by the case than he was before. She lied to him, a renowned detective, which could only lead to interesting, and probably illegal, business.

The day after, Roy sat at his desk, waiting for Riza to come in. He was revising his notes, readying himself. When she finally came in his office, without knocking this time, he put down his notes and smiled at her with enthusiasm. She sat down in front of his, smiling back.

"So, Mister Mustang, did you have time to look through the file?" she asked in her musical tone.

"I did. But it would've been much more useful to me if it was in fact the real case" Roy replied.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked defensively.

"I mean that the man in the file, which is fake, is not your father" Roy began.

Roy slipped some papers in front of her. One had a picture of a young girl and the other a picture of a blonde middle aged man.

"This is your father, Berthold Hawkeye. He died of an unknown sickness when you were sixteen. Your mother was already deceased, so you had to take care of yourself. But that wasn't really a problem since you're quite resourceful and he left you a lot of money. Now for the reason you lied, that's up to you to tell me" he revealed.

He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms, smiling proudly. She looked at him with wide eyes, quite impressed by the exactitude of his statement.

"I didn't think you'd see through my lies that fast. You're impressive" she praised.

"So it was on purpose?" Roy said, more as an affirmation than a question.

"You can't blame me for wanting to make sure you lived up to your reputation" she refuted.

Roy was definitely enjoying this. Riza was really a mysterious woman, which he found appealing. Riza leaned on his desk and her face became serious.

"Mister Mustang, the man that disappeared was captured by some organization. I don't know what they want or who they are, but this man is not their first victim. My father didn't die because of some sickness. He was murdered. And I believe the same people that killed my father took away this man. I need you to find them and bring them to justice" she said, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"So basically you're asking me to put my nose in some illegal stuff that might get us both killed" he taunted.

She straightened herself and frowned, staring directly into his eyes with her focused brown eyes. He joined his hands together and rested his chin on them, smiling at her.

"You've found your man" he said.

"Thank you so much" she thanked him, looking relieved.

Her face had softened and she looked genuinely happy.

"Why don't we begin at the bar where he was last seen? If we're lucky we'll get to see the people he was last seen with" she proposed.

"Or even suspects" he continued.

"Then it's a deal. Meet me there tonight at ten. I'll be there."

Then she left, leaving Roy alone. He stayed still for a long time, just thinking about the contract and the strange woman who requested his help. He was sure that it would be the most interesting case he has ever worked on.


	2. Starting a Fire

**Part two: Starting a Fire**

**Pairing: Royai**

**Rating: T as of now. Rating will change.**

**Summary: Roy and Riza goes to the bar were the disappearance occurred. But everything doesn't go like they thought…**

Roy had put on his best suit to look the part. It was dark, just like his pulled back hair and his eyes, giving him a classy yet dangerous look. Riza on her part was wearing a silky ivory dress that was very close to her body, flattering her womanly curves. Her hair was down this time, flowing in angelic curls on her shoulder.

Riza had arrived earlier at the jazz bar and was sitting at a table in the back of the room, waiting for her date to join her. When Roy finally entered, all heads turned to look at him. Women were in aw in front of his handsomeness and men were jealous of his confidence and popularity. But the women were disappointed when he sat in front of Riza, who was herself very enviable. Together, they made a stunning couple, or at least, that was what they looked like to the public eye. The reality was something else. They were both there for business and were far from a couple.

Roy sat down in front of Riza and put his hat on the table, slicking his hair back.

"Good evening, Miss Hawkeye. You look lovely tonight" he complimented.

"Thank you Mister Mustang. You don't look half bad either" she replied.

Roy made a sign to a waiter and ordered a glass of scotch. Riza didn't order anything, because she already had a martini in front of her. She also had a cigarette holder in her hand. He took out a cigarette of his own and she offered him a light.

"I've brought some pictures of the suspects that the police had. I haven't seen any of them yet but maybe we'll have more luck later. One of them owns this place so we're almost sure to see him tonight" she said, holding out a bunch of pictures.

Roy looked through them and scanned the room to look for any of them, but as she said, none of them were there yet. But since they were usual customers, it was more than probable that they would come, especially since it was a Saturday night.

"I was wondering, why did you become a private detective?" she asked.

"Ah, well…I don't really know. It just kinda happened I guess" he answered, taken aback.

Riza laughed, amused by his baffled look. Her laugh was clear and engaging.

"So do you do something else besides investigation?" she asked.

"What about you? What do you do for a living?" he replied, avoiding the question.

"Not answering are you? You're quite the mysterious man, Mister Mustang" she mocked.

"I could say the same about you, Miss Hawkeye" he refuted.

On the stage in front of the room, the musicians began playing, cutting short their conversation. But they didn't mind. It seemed they both weren't willing to talk much about themselves, so they just enjoyed the music while drinking and looking around the room for any suspicious people.

After a moment, Riza excused herself to the bathroom. Not long after she had left him, three men entered the bar. Roy instantly recognized them from the pictures Riza had shown him earlier. They crossed the room and went through a back door. The last man looked back then closed the door behind him. Roy thought they looked a bit suspicious. He decided to wait for Riza's return to do anything, but it was taking a while.

About five minutes later, one of the men came out and went to the bar. He gave something that Roy couldn't see to the barman and got out of the bar. Then, the musicians stopped playing and went backstage. Roy had a strange feeling. The actions of the three men and the atmosphere of the bar was weird. Also, Riza still wasn't back from the bathroom after fifteen minutes. Roy thought that everything was a bit too shady, so he went to check on Riza. However, Roy didn't have to time to make more than a few paces before something exploded behind the bar counter. Roy was thrown a few feet back into one of the table. He was out of breath because of the shock, but he only had minor injuries. He stood up slowly and looked around the room. He was a bit dizzy and his ears were buzzing because of the explosion. But he could still hear the gunshot coming from the opposite side of the room. And surprisingly, they were going toward him. Roy quickly duck behind a column and took out his gun. He took quick peeks and when he finally spotted the guy who was shooting, he shot him back. He aimed for non-lethal places and succeeded in shooting his arm, making the guy scream and drop his gun.

Roy then ran to the bathroom and entered to check on Riza, not caring that it was the woman's bathroom. He found her lying on the floor, unconscious. She was bleeding from her head and her leg was stuck under the sink that fell because of the explosion. The bathroom was a wreck and Roy could see that the fire caused by the explosion was spreading quickly toward their position. He removed the sink from Riza and took her bridal style carefully. He decided that it would be a better decision to not cross the room, since it was on fire and he was shot. So, he walked carefully from the bathroom to the back door, which was not too far away.

Since Riza was still unconscious and hurt, he put her in his car and drove back to his apartment. Roy knew, mostly from experience, that what happened that night was highly illegal business and that laying low for a couple of days would be the best idea, either for him than for her. He didn't knew who or why, but it seemed that someone was targeting him. It was true that he was working on a case that might get him into trouble, but he only got the contract the day before, so it was improbable that someone already knew about this. But still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once he got home, he placed Riza carefully on his own bed and hurried to his bathroom to take some disinfectant and bandages. Roy cleaned Riza's wounds and tucked her up. He let her in her evening gown, thinking it might be a little too much to go as far as taking the clothes off an unconscious woman. Roy on his part got change and laid down on his couch. He was still a bit confused about the night's events, but, exhausted, fell asleep quickly.

When Riza woke up, her head was throbbing and she didn't recognize the bedroom she was in. She sat in the bed, her head in her hands, trying to remember what about the night before. She was at the bar with the detective she hired and she had gone to the bathroom. And then…and then there was the explosion. After that, she didn't remember anything.

Riza stood up, realizing that she was still in her evening dress, but her wounds have been cleaned and bandaged. She noticed some clothes on the end table beside the bed, with a note on it. It read "Feel free to change into these clothes". She didn't like the thought of changing into someone else's clothes, but her dress was dirty and ripped at several places after all. So she changed and got out of the room.

She walked across a corridor that led to the living room, from which the kitchen could be seen. There was a man in the kitchen making coffee. She recognized Roy, deducing that he brought her here after the explosion. He heard her and turned around, holding two cups of coffee.

"You're up just in time, I made some coffee. Oh, I also have some food if you're hungry" Roy told her.

"Coffee's fine" she answered hoarsely.

They both sat at the dining room table and she sipped her coffee eye's closed, her headache only getting worse. Roy noticed that she seemed to be in bad shape, so he went to the bathroom and brought back painkillers.

"Thank you" she smiled.

They remained silent for a while. They were both embarrassed by the intimacy of the situation, her being in his clothes although they only knew each other for two days. Roy wanted to relax the atmosphere, so he decided to talk about the night before.

"Right before the explosion yesterday I saw three of the guys from the pictures you showed me. I even saw one of them give something to the barman two minutes before it came off" he said.

Riza looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"But, the bar is owned by one of them, why would they blow it off?" she wondered.

"I don't know. But the thing is they did, and now they're prime suspects" he added, letting out the fact that he was attacked on purpose.

The silence fell onto the room once again.

"Are you wounds alright?" he inquired.

"Yes, don't worry about it. I think I bump my head when the explosion came off but other than that, I'm fine" she answered with a smile.

Roy couldn't find anything else to talk about. He noticed Riza seemed cold with only a t-shirt on, so he grab a sweater and put it on her shoulders. She looked up to him and smiled thankfully.

"I used to be in the police force before becoming a private" Roy confessed.

Riza looked at him confused by the sudden confession.

"Yesterday you asked me if I was doing something besides investigation, well I don't. But I used to be a policeman" he explained.

"Really? Sorry I kinda bashed the police force when we met the first time…" she apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I left because I didn't like the way they handled things. I guess this kind of life suits me more" he reassured her.

She nodded in agreement and passed her arms through the sleeves of the sweater.

"What about you Miss Hawkeye?" he asked.

"Please, call me Riza" she told him.

"Then please call me Roy" he replied.

"Well then Roy, I am a waitress and I also sing in cabarets" she answered.

"You do? Then I guess I'll have to go to one of your shows" he said surprised.

"You're very welcome to do so."

Riza gulped down the rest of her coffee and looked at Roy.

"Thank you for saving me yesterday Roy" she said softly.

"Don't mention it."

The tension between had gone down, and they were now conversing happily. They talked about themselves and about other meaningless things. There was definitely chemistry between the two and Roy would've lied if he said he wasn't attracted by her. But Riza wasn't the type of girl he usually took home. She was much classier; she wasn't the type of girl you took home for a one night stand. Riza on her part was on her guard. He was indeed a gentleman, but she knew he had the reputation a womanizer. But still, he was a handsome and charismatic man. And Riza was weak against that kind of confident man.

So just like that, another kind of fire started.


	3. Cabaret and Secret

**Pairing: Royai**

**Rated: K+ for this chapter, T for the fic as of now**

**Notes: Did I just end this with a cliff hanger! Oh yes I did!**

It has already been a week since the explosion incident and Roy still couldn't find the suspects. He even reported what he had saw that evening with the pictures of the men to his contacts at the police station, but even they couldn't find anything. Roy eventually gave up that trail, especially when Hughes told him they found evidences on the crime scene that the explosion was a settling of scores between gang members. That brought Roy back at the start.

But Riza hadn't given up and prepared a meeting place for them to discuss their next action. The place was a small cabaret that had just opened. When he came in at the scheduled hour, a man came to him and brought him at reserved table right in front of the stage. Roy couldn't see Riza in the crowd, but decided to sit back and enjoy the show that was about to begin while waiting for her. His eyes widen in utter surprise when the curtains opened, because Riza was standing in the middle of the stage, a microphone in front of her. The music started slowly and Riza started to sing smoothly. Her voice was so captivating that everyone in the audience stopped talk to listen. After a few measures, the rhythm picked up, the musicians playing louder and faster. Riza took off her shawl and threw it on the side, uncovering a sleek red dress, opened in the back and with a neckline low enough for Roy to admire her wonderful cleavage. He smiled to himself, enjoying the song and the beautiful woman in front of him.

Once it was over, the audience acclaimed her and she went backstage. A few minutes later, she came out and joined him at his table.

"That was quite a pleasant surprise" he complimented.

"You did tell me you'd like to see one of my shows" she replied.

"Well it was worth it. You're a great entertainer."

"Thank you Roy" she smiled.

"So now, let's talk business."

Riza straightened herself and put on a serious face.

"As you know, I have some contacts within the police force. I know you don't trust them but hear me out. They agreed to meet us and give us some secret information. Meaning information that you didn't get" he said in a low voice.

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet them" she agreed.

A swing song came on and Riza's face lit up. She grabbed Roy by the hand and took him on the dance floor.

"C'mon, dance with me!" she requested.

He laughed but complied and they both danced until their feet hurt. The next song was slower, so Roy took her by the waist with one hand and took hers with the other. They smiled at each other, enjoying the moment. And Riza had to admit that he wasn't a bad dancer. In fact, he was really good. He swept her around like she they were floating and at the end, he even leaned her all the way back, holding her with one hand on her back and one on her waist, making her blush. Then he put her back on her feet, escorted back at their table and gave her a peck on the hand. She let out a small laugh, definitely charmed.

The rest of evening went smoothly and when it was time to call it a night, Roy walked her home. They stood on her porch facing each other. It felt so much like a date that they almost forgot they were together for business. Roy took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Riza.

"Here. My phone number, just in case and the meeting point with my contacts" he told her.

"Oh, right. Shall I give you mine, in case you find something?" she asked, taking the paper.

"I already have it" he smirked.

She was shocked at first, but then remembered he was a private detective after all.

"Of course, Mister Detective. What was I thinking?" she laughed.

She placed a hand on his arm and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Well good night, then. Thanks for coming tonight, it was nice" she said with a smile.

"Good night Riza" he smiled back.

He then left and Riza entered her house, both smiling.

Three days later, Riza went to the meeting place, just as planned. It was an apartment in an old apartment complex, which was located in a lower-class district. She knocked on the door and a voice answered to come in. The apartment was empty, except for a few chairs and a table. Roy was sitting with two men, whom he introduced as Maes Hughes and Jean Havoc.

"So you're the mysterious lady Roy been talking about. Nice to meet you" greeted Hughes.

Havoc smiled at her and greeted her too, a cigarette in his hands.

"Thank you for coming. I really appreciate" she thanked them.

"It's nothing really. Anything to make our job more entertaining. So, Roy told us a bit about your case. And we have some good news, and some bad news" Hughes said.

"Good news is we used to have a suspect with solid evidences on the disappearance you're investigating on. Bad news is we USED to" continued Havoc.

"Meaning?" Roy asked.

"The guy changed names and cities one day and we haven't been able to find him since then. But if we catch him, there's a good chance that it's your guy" Hughes finished.

"Damn. What evidence did you have?" Roy inquired.

"He was seen by several witnesses at the bar where the disappearance occurred. He was well known within the police force because of his minor offenses and it was also a known fact that he had some huge debts. Also…" Hughes began.

"Wait, are you talking about Alfred Pearce?" Riza blurted out.

The three men looked at her, shocked and surprised at the same time.

"How do you know about him?" Havoc wondered.

"You mean you don't know? He's dead!" Riza announced.

"WHAT!?" they all said in unison.

"He never changed cities, he was killed and burned in a back alley here, in Central" she explained.

"But how come you know that?" Roy asked, suspicious.

Riza looked at the three men and realized that it was in fact strange that she, a civilian, would know about something like this. She moved uncomfortably on her chair.

"My…my father used to be in suspicious business and left me with some debts. I had to deal with him at some point that's why I knew he was dead" she confessed.

"I see. I can't believe it. It seems every lead we have ends up being a dead end" Roy sighed.

"And what about the place he used to hide? Did you find anything there?" Riza asked.

They all looked at each other embarrassed, then back at Riza.

"You don't know about the hiding place…" Riza presumed.

Hughes took a paper and a pen and slipped it in front of Riza. She wrote the address down and gave it back to him.

"And it was right under our nose too…alright. Let's meet up here tomorrow at 6PM and we'll go there" Hughes proposed.

They all agreed and stood to leave.

"Oh and boss? Don't act reckless and bring this girl there without back up, got it?" Havoc added.

Roy gave him a guilty smile and replied "Got it."

When they got out, Riza gave Roy a glare.

"Boss, huh?"

He didn't add anything and shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.

They met as promised in the same apartment the day after. They all took one gun, just in case something went wrong, even Riza. The hiding place Riza mentioned was a rundown apartment complex, which was probably used to deal drugs now. But as of now, it looked empty. They walked slowly through the entrance hall, but suddenly five men came out of nowhere and pointed guns at them. Being outnumbered and because they didn't have their gun in hands, they raised their hands in rendition. They knocked them out with the butt of their guns and the last thing Roy could see was Riza being taken away by one of the men.


	4. The Sound of a Broken Heart

**Part four: The Sound of a Broken Heart**

**Pairing: Royai**

**Rated: M just in case**

When Roy finally came to his senses, he noticed that they had been moved to an empty apartment and their feet and hands were tied up. Hughes and Havoc were beside him, already awake, but Riza was nowhere to be seen. There were only three men in the room, so Roy deduced the other two must be with Riza. Two of the men stood behind them and forced them to kneel. The other stood in front of them and pointed a gun at them.

"Where's Riza?" Roy muttered.

The man in front of Roy called a name toward another room and Riza's screaming voice was heard. Angry, Roy tried to break free to tackle the man in front of him, but he hit Roy with the butt of his gun, making him fall on the side. He was a bit dizzy and his forehead was bleeding. He tried to get up again, but the man kicked him hard in the guts, making Roy yelp in pain. This time, he stayed on the ground.

"I think you understand that you're not welcomed here" said the man who hit Roy.

"And that we won't let you leave that easily" added the man standing behind Hughes.

"So we're going to get every bit of information we can out of you, then we'll kill you. Simple as that" finished the third man.

The man in front of Roy then leaned down and grabbed Roy to make him kneel again, but Roy took the opportunity to lock the man's arm between his and brought him to the ground. The second man shifting his gun from Havoc to Roy and shot him in the leg. Hughes called out his name and shoved the man who had shot Roy to go help his friend. But the man who was shoved got angry and pointed his gun right to Hughes head. Roy witnessed the next scene like it was in slow motion. He didn't have time to move that Hughes was shot right in the head. He dropped hard on the floor, the shot killing him instantly.

"HUGHES!" Roy screamed.

Roy and Havoc were immobilized by two of the men, as the one who shot Hughes walked to the room where Riza was held. Roy was in complete shock. The situation felt so unreal, he couldn't believe that just like that, Hughes was gone. He didn't even realize that the wound on his leg was bleeding nor did he feel the pain.

"Boss. BOSS" Havoc called, making Roy snap out of his stupefied state.

He motioned to the men that were facing the other way. Roy noticed that they had their gun in the back of their belt, making it easily accessible. Roy nodded at Havoc and they slowly kneeled behind the men. Roy made a sign with his head and they both grabbed the guns and kicked them in the legs to make them fall. Once they were down, Havoc menaced one of the men with the gun, but Roy shot the other in the chest without mercy.

"Fuck boss! We're gonna be in trouble if you kill them!" Havoc stated.

"They already killed Hughes, I'm not going to give them the chance to kill any more of us" Roy refuted.

They quickly untied their feet, then their hands. Havoc cursed to himself, but unlike Roy, he only shot the men in both knees to immobilize him. His screams alerted the men in the other room.

"What the hell is going on here?" one of them asked.

Before they could realize that Roy and Havoc were freed, they were shot too. Now that they were all down, Roy ran in the other room, to see Riza tied up and gagged. He kneeled in front of her and took off her gag. Worriedness was visible in his eyes, and fright in hers.

"Are you hurt?" he asked softly.

She shook her head.

"I heard gunshots, what happened?" she inquired.

He remained silent, but Riza noticed he was hurt, physically as well as emotionally. Riza got up and began walking towards the door, but was stopped by Roy taking her hand. She turned to him and he looked at her with begging eyes.

"Just…don't go in the other room" he whispered.

She complied, but looked through the open door. She could see two men lying down, one of them being Hughes. She yelped, noticing the pool of blood that had formed around his head. She saw Havoc taking his pulse for form's sake and noting the time on his watch. She looked away and put her hand on Roy's shoulder. His face was pale; he had lost a lot of blood. She tore her dress at the bottom and used it to do a tourniquet for his thigh. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was in pain. Havoc then joined them in the room.

"I called an ambulance with their phone. Just hang on til then" he encouraged.

The three of them remained silent until the ambulance came, not knowing what to say and barely believing that Hughes was really dead.

Roy's injury wasn't too severe, so he was discharged quickly from the hospital. Riza had gone to visit him a few times, but couldn't get him to talk much. She knew he was in shock because of his friend's death and wanted to apologize as best as she could. She even went to take him from the hospital after his discharge. He was as silent as usual, but his face didn't show any emotions. He was either good at hiding them or she didn't know him long enough to notice.

She came into his room while he was packing the few things a friend had brought him. He turned around when he heard her and smiled weakly. His wound seemed to be healing well, but he still walked with a crutch to support him.

"I came to take you home" she informed him.

"You don't have to. I was going to walk" he answered, looking away from her.

She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Roy, please, at least let me do that for you" she pleaded.

He looked in her eyes and could see how guilty she felt. He felt a pinch in his heart and thus accepted her offer. They didn't talk in the car ride, but Riza took his hand and squeazed it for a moment, to try to make him understand how sorry she was. She followed him in his apartment and watched as he took a glass and poured scotch in it. He looked at her in hesitation, then proposed her a drink. She opened her mouth to refuse at first, but decided to go along. They sat on his couch with their drink in hand, the bottle of alcohol not far away.

After a while, Riza took unto herself to say something.

"Roy, I'm…I'm so sorry. Because of me, your friend…"she started, but couldn't finish.

"Riza, please don't. It's not your fault."

"But…"

She stopped, because she knew that she couldn't say anything to make him feel better. She just put her hand on his and rested her hand on his shoulder. They kept drinking until they were too drunk to care about the time or how much they had already drank. Riza thought it would be a bad idea to keep on drinking, so she took the bottle of scotch and put it away. Then she stood in front of Roy and put her hand gently on his shoulder. Her looked up at her then rested his head on her stomach. He reached around her waist with his arms and brought her close to him. She let him and circled his head with her arms. They stayed still for a while then Roy shifted his hands to her waist, then to his thigh. He looked at her intensely, making her blush. Her took one of her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. He pulled her gently so she could lean over him and ran his other hand through her hair and rested his hand on the nap of her neck. She was like hypnotize. She couldn't take her eyes off his face. His eyes were sad, but also full of desire. And hers were probably too, because he smirked and took her lips with his. The kiss was slow and deep, making Riza's legs go weak. Through the kiss Roy stood up and was now dominating Riza with his height. He held her as tight as he could and she completely gave into his grasp.

Next thing she knew is that they were lying naked in Roy's bed, their clothes shattered all around his apartment. They both didn't really think about what they were doing; they were too drunk to do so. Roy was sad and angry about his best friend's death and was seeking comfort in Riza's arms and Riza couldn't resist Roy, her skin burning under every touch and every kiss. He was making love to her slowly, passionately, making her moan and melt under him.

But as the heat was almost at its peak, Roy stopped and Riza felt something wet fell on her cheek. She looked at his face and noticed he was crying. His shoulders were shaking and he was sobbing silently. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head on her chest. She held him all the time he was crying until he finally fell asleep. She fell asleep too and they hold tightly through the night, both trying to melt away their anguish in each other's arms.


	5. Confessions

**Pairing: Royai**

**Rated: T for this chapter, M for the fic**

**Notes: I'm sorry this chapter is not the most interesting, but it's more of a filler than anything else. Next chapters are going to be better I promise.**

Riza was woken up by the sound of bed sheets ruffling beside her. She was still exhausted, physically as much as emotionally, so she didn't care to move or look at her partner. Roy on his part sit on the edge of the bed and looked at Riza. Now that he was completely sober, he felt guilty of the way he acted the night before. He acted cold towards Riza, knowing full well that she was only trying to cheer him up and then completely used her to find some kind of comfort in her arms.

Sighing, Roy stood up and made his way to the kitchen. He didn't bother to properly dress up and had only put on a pair of pajamas' pants. He started making some coffee for two, when he felt two gentle arms wrapping around his chest and a soft chest pressing against his back. He stopped what he was doing and enjoyed the feeling of Riza's skin against his, one hand on hers, before turning around to face her. She was smiling softly, but she frowned when she saw the look on his face.

"Are you alright?" she ventured to ask.

Roy nodded and caressed her arm gently, trying to stop her from worrying about him.

"I'm sorry…about yesterday. It was wrong" he apologized.

Riza frowned a bit more, confused at was he was saying.

"We were both drunk and I shouldn't have used you like that" he added.

"I let you so I'm as much responsible as you are" she refuted.

Roy didn't know how to react to her stubbornness. He was trying to make her understand that they couldn't keep a relationship going like this. Getting intimate through alcohol and pain was just plain wrong, and he didn't want to hurt her or pull her into an unhealthy relationship. However, the look on her face told him that she didn't care. They were getting dangerously close and they relationship wasn't just business anymore. And Roy needed to stop it before one of them got hurt.

"We can't keep going like this Riza, and you know it" Roy said quietly.

"Why? We work together and get along pretty well. We had sex once, why would it change anything? I'm probably not the first woman to get into your bed, so why would this once change anything?" she asked.

"Because I'm falling for you. Hard" he confessed.

Riza's face dropped in shock. She wasn't expecting this kind of confession. Her heart was beating faster and she felt the heath rising to her cheeks. She admitted that there was undeniable chemistry between them, but she never thought that he would fall in love with her. Once the first shock had passed, she smiled at him and rested her hand on his cheek.

"What if I am too?" she replied, her voice as quiet as his was earlier.

Roy's fears were confirmed. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall for him. He knew he wasn't good enough for her. She was gorgeous, she was pure and she deserved to be treated like the queen she was. As much as he wanted her, he knew that he didn't deserve a woman like her.

Riza stopped his train of thought by closing the distance between them. She pressed her body against him, grabbing his hand, putting it on her waist, and locking her lips to his. He didn't even think before kissing her back. The kiss was pressing, but tender. Roy forgot everything through the kiss, from what he had just told her to the death that occurred because of them. However, it didn't last long before it came back to him and he broke the kiss and backed away from Riza. He could see in her eyes that she was hurt, so he did a pace towards her and took her hand. She squeezed his hand and placed her forehead to his.

"Is it because of Hughes?" she asked tentatively.

"Oh God Riza, no, of course not. I would never blame you for what happened to him"

"What is it then?" she pleaded.

Roy opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He couldn't tell her the truth he was trying so hard to supress. He took a deep breath to gather all the courage he could and began telling her his story. He told her that he used to work as a chief of police, and that it was the reason he had so much contacts in the police force. He was doing a great job and was respected, until a specific murder case a few years back. A serial killer around town was reputed for his gruesome murders and Roy was the man in charge of his case. Roy chased the killer for a few years, but was never able to catch him. In the end, they had a face off, which ended up with Roy killing his girlfriend by accident and the serial killer burning down a whole building, letting his hostages burning to death. Roy's target ended up killing himself, leaving Roy badly injured.

Riza stayed silent until he finished his story. She never thought he had a background like this. She was saddened by his sudden confession, but she wanted him to know that this would not change what she thought of him. She was indeed falling for him, and nothing could change that.

"Is that why you left the police force?" she asked softly.

He nodded.

"You still blame yourself, that's why you think you don't deserve me, is that it?" she added, almost in an accusing tone.

"I'm a murderer. I've killed a woman I loved with my own hands and let countless people die because of my incompetence. You deserve the best, and I can't give it to you" he replied angrily.

"But I don't want the best I want you!" she yelled.

"We can't, not in this kind of context, try to understand Riza…" he began.

He was cut off by Riza getting away from him. She gathered the rest of her clothes and fixed her hair quickly. Roy watched her helplessly as she was getting ready to leave his apartment.

"I'm still going to investigate for you, Riza. Please don't…" he tried to continue, but she slammed the door, not listening to him anymore.

Outside Roy's apartment, a few feet away from her, stood the police officer that was calling Roy boss the other day. What was his name already? Havoc! Yes, that was it. They both stared at each other in embarrassment, none of them expecting to see each other this early in the morning. However, Havoc smirk knowingly at her, making her blush.

"Morning" he greeted teasingly.

She only nodded, avoiding his gaze and walked quickly past him. Havoc watched as she left, then knocked on Roy's door but opening it right away. He saw Roy sitting still half-naked at his kitchen table, sipping his coffee and smirk a bit more.

"Someone a good night" Havoc teased.

Roy looked at him with a puzzled look.

"I just saw your sweetie leaving your apartment" Havoc cleared up.

"What do you want?" Roy replied annoyed.

"I just came by to see how you were holding on" Havoc answered in a more serious tone.

"I'm alright…" Roy replied weakly.

Havoc didn't look convinced. He waited for Roy to clarify his state of mind, but as Roy didn't say anything more, he tried to make him talk.

"You know it's not your fault that Hughes…" Havoc began.

"I know. That's not it. It's Riza…" Roy trailed off.

Roy sighed, a bit reluctant about telling Havoc what happened.

"Last night we kinda…got drunk. Really drunk. And we…you know…" Roy tried to explain.

"I get it. What's the problem in that? It's not like she's the first woman to end up in your bed" Havoc wondered.

"She said exactly the same thing" Roy sighed.

Havoc couldn't help but laugh. That girl really was something.

"The problem is not getting her in bed, it's that I…am falling in love with her" Roy confessed.

Havoc stayed silent. He understood what Roy just said implied, and knew it wasn't a good thing. He hadn't seen Roy in a serious relationship since he quit the police force. He had a few girlfriends, but the kind of girl you took out a few times and ended up in your bed. Not the kind of girls you introduced to your mother. However, it was the first time in years Roy talked about love.

"Let me guess, you led her away because you don't deserve her, or some shit like that?" Havoc accused.

"Well, I don't. I can't be with someone like her, she deserves the best and I'm just a mess and a fucking murderer" Roy replied, almost yelling.

Havoc stood up and pointed a finger towards Roy.

"You need to grow a set and realize that this has nothing to do with the past. Yes, it's horrible, but you need to stop letting it control your life. Maybe she would deserve someone better, but if she loves, you and you love her, act like a man and honor her" Havoc let out.

Roy didn't respond. He stood up and walked towards his bedroom, letting Havoc alone in the kitchen.

"Stop sulking and man up, you idiot" Havoc added, before leaving the apartment, slamming the door behind him just as Riza did earlier.

Roy slumped down on his bed and burrowed his face into his pillow. He knew Havoc was right, but he was scared. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Riza as he hurt his previous girlfriend. And for that, he was ready to give up on her and everything they could have.


	6. Distance

Riza walked directly to her apartment, wanting nothing more than sleep through the day and forget about her discussion with Roy. She was feeling a mix of different emotions, from anger to sadness. However, she couldn't go to sleep right away, because someone was waiting for her in front of her door. It was a tall middle aged man with dark hair and a eye patch. Riza slowed down when she saw him, reluctant about talking to him. She =knew if he came to see her in person it was a serious matter.

"Good morning, Riza" he greeted her with his hoarse voice.

She nodded and mumbled a greeting. She opened the door and looked around the hall before letting the man in. She threw her coat on her kitchen chair and took her shoes off, letting them lying around on the floor. She turned to the man who hadn't moved from the door, a small smile playing on his lips

"Is the matter serious enough that you'd need to come all this way yourself, Bradley?" she asked.

"You know very well why I'm here" he eluded.

Riza opened her mouth, but was cut off by the man.

"How are things going with Mustang?" he wondered.

She didn't answer, knowing that she couldn't give him an answer that would please him. Bradley stopped smiling. He walked up to Riza and looked that at her. She felt intimidated by his stature and took a step back without realizing it.

"If your emotions are getting in the way of our plan, I'll take care of it. There's no need to postpone this any longer" he stated.

"My emotions are not getting in the way, we had some troubles but I'm perfectly capable of accomplishing my task" Riza replied firmly.

Bradley stared at her as to test her. Riza looked confident on the outside, but her legs were actually shaking.

"Really? Then can you explain the cabaret incident? And what happened in the abandoned apartment complex?" Bradley taunted.

Once again, she didn't answer. Bradley looked at her a moment longer with a frown and taunting eyes. He then smiled and took a step back.

"You have until the next meeting. If it's not done by then, I'll take care of it myself" he added before getting out of the apartment.

Riza stood still for a few minutes, shaken by the meeting. Her feelings are even more mixed up than before and although she knows she have to act according to Bradley's will, she would rather just give up everything. She shook her head and tried to stop thinking about Bradley's words for the rest of the day and went back to sleep.

Roy was slouching in his chair in front of his desk, not really working on his case. He couldn't get his mind off Riza. He wanted more than anything to call her, but he knew he had to keep a distance between them. She didn't agree, but Roy thought it was better for both of them to finish the case as soon as possible and stop seeing each other.

Roy was still deep in his thought when a soft knock was heard on the door. Roy was surprise to see Riza opening the door. He smiled warmly at her and stood up to greet her, but she didn't smile back or look at him and just sit in front of the desk. She looked up at him while he looked at her confused. He sat back down and waited for Riza to say something.

"So, have you found anything more?" Riza asked coldly.

Roy was taken aback by her tone of voice and distant attitude, so he didn't really get what she was asking him. Riza noticed his confused look and frowned.

"The case. You did say you would still work on it" she added.

"Ah! Yes, the case, of course" Roy snapped out.

He went through the papers on his desk and collected a few of them that he handed to Riza.

"It doesn't look like much, but I found some stuff on the guys that killed Hughes back in the police files and I thought it would help us getting to their organization, or whatever it is" he explained.

Riza remained silent and read through the files. Roy waited for her to react or to say something, but she kept her distant attitude and never bothered to look at Roy. She put down the papers and stood up.

"I need to check some things on my own, if you don't mind. I'll be back tonight probably" she informed him before walking to the door.

Roy also got up and slammed his hand on the door, preventing Riza from opening it. She looked at him for the first time, shock visible on her face. He looked upset, but Riza couldn't figure out why.

"Why are you acting like this?" he asked.

"What are you talking about" she replied.

"You're acting so distant, you're not even looking at me. Why?" he accused.

Riza frowned and turned to face him, getting upset by his accusation.

"Look, you were the one to say we should keep our distance, I'm just doing what you wanted" Riza answered firmly.

"I didn't mean that we needed to act as strangers, just that we shouldn't get involved with each other any more than we already did" Roy clarified.

Riza couldn't take it anymore and she pushed Roy hard against the wall and stared straight into his eyes, her face inches from him.

"I already told you but I'll repeat myself, you are doing a big mistake. You think you have all the good reasons to push me away, but all you really do is repeating the same mistake. You are going to lose me even though I'm right here in front of you. If you thought I'd agree with you and act all friendly like nothing had happened, you're dead wrong" she spurted out.

Roy opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped by Riza kissing him roughly. The kiss didn't last long and when Riza backed away, she adverted her eyes from him.

"If you can't do that, it's better that we don't see each other ever again. I'm sorry Roy" Riza whispered before leaving, never looking back at Roy.

Roy stayed in the doorframe, cursing himself for what happened between her and Riza. If he hadn't drink that night, he would never have seduced Riza and none of this would've happen. However, he was set on closing up this case, so he decided to investigate even without Riza. He made her a promise and he was determined to carry it out.


	7. Flames

Riza was not answering her phone anymore, nor was she opening the door for him. After two weeks of trying to get in touch with her, Roy decided to try another method. He went to the entertainment district where she brought him once to see her show and tried to look for a cabaret where she was working. He was lucky enough to find one close to the first one that had burn down and asked one of the waitress when was Riza's next show. Fortunately for him, it was two nights from now, so Roy decided to go to her show. That way, she would have no choice but to talk to him.

Happy with himself, Roy waited for the night of the show and prepared his best suit to please Riza's eyes. He realized somehow that he wasn't being fair with Riza, but he thought that she wasn't being fair either. He wanted to help her more than anything, so he was set on closing the case she gave him and even if he didn't want to admit it out loud, he didn't really want to let go of her. But being proud and stubborn as he was, he kept those feelings deep within himself.

When Roy entered the cabaret, the room was full. Riza was indeed a great performer, so he guessed that her shows must be popular. He made his way through the tables and the crowd and settled for a table at the back of the room, but close to the backstage exit so he could grab Riza while she got off stage. He waited for a few minutes before the lights were dimmed, then a spot light up on the stage, revealing Riza in a beautiful ivory dress. Roy stared at her the whole time, absorbed by her beauty and her voice. He was so focused that he almost forgot why he had come in the first place; to try to get her to work with him again.

However, when she ended her show and got off stage, Roy sneaked backstage behind her and surprised her when she was getting her jewelry off.

"Great show, as always" he whispered behind her ear.

Riza turned around quickly and jumped in surprise. She put a hand at her chest and looked around her nervously.

"What are you doing here?" she asked a little bit upset.

"Enjoying your show" Roy teased.

Riza sighed and turned away from him, determined not to fall into his trap. Roy was about to put his hand on her shoulder, but Riza seemed to notice something further in the hallway and turned back to Roy. She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him away, pushing him gently towards the exit.

"You need to go away" she muttered, looking behind her shoulder.

Roy looked over his shoulder too and saw a man coming towards them. He was a middle aged man with an eye patch, walking with confidence, his back straightened up. As he was approaching, Riza got more nervous and pushed Roy harder, making him stumble. Roy could see Bradley getting a gun out and walking faster towards them.

"Get out. NOW!" Riza yelled, pushing him one last time before turning around to Bradley.

Naturally, Roy didn't listen to her and got his own gun out, but wasn't fast enough. Bradley had pushed Riza hard against the wall and shot at Roy, fortunately only bruising his shoulder. Roy shot back at him, aiming right for his hand holding the gun. He couldn't shot exactly his hand, but he got the gun and the shock made Bradley drop it. Roy grabbed Riza's hand and helped her up quickly before running towards the exit. However, when he got out, two men were coming for him. Roy stopped, unsure of what was going on and where to go. Riza pulled him at the opposite side of the room, further in the backstage. They were shot a few times, but the narrowness of the hallway and the heavy curtains on the sides were preventing the men from aiming right. They finally hid on the side and Roy threw his spare gun to Riza. He fired a few shots at the two men that were following them. Riza on the contrary wasn't shooting and was just staring at the other side of the hallway.

"Riza what are you doing! Shoot back!" he yelled at her, making her snap out of her thoughts.

She gestured towards another door leading to a staircase and Roy, understanding her signal, ran quickly to the door. He opened it and let Riza in first, then locked the door the best he could behind them. They ran up the stairs and locked themselves up in a changing room. Roy's heart was beating like crazy and sweat was falling on his forehead.

"What the hell was that?" he said while turning around to face Riza.

He was surprise to see that Riza was pointing her gun at him, hesitation and pain visible in her eyes.

"Riza, what are you doing?" Roy whispered in shock.

Riza opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She shook her head, never letting her gun down.

"What's going on?" Roy added.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a choice. We're both going to die anyway" Riza answered, her voice shaking.

Roy waited for her to explain, but she didn't add anything. Then, it hit him. Why she was so mysterious about herself, her father and the case. Why she knew much more than the police. All of her attitude and every events that happened around him while she was there. She was setting a trap for him. She wasn't a victim, she was the executioner. The only thing he didn't know was why. Why would she want him dead?

"Why Riza?" he asked simply.

"I'm only a pawn here. You caused a lot of trouble for us you know that? I was hired to fool you, get information and kill you" she stated.

"But there was a flaw in your plan" Roy said, more as a statement than as a question.

"Yes, there was. I never expected to fall in love with you" she replied.

"And I fell in love with you too" Roy added.

Loud noises were heard downstairs and Roy figured the men had successfully opened the door to the staircase. Roy's mind was racing. He had to think of a way to make Riza drop the gun, then he could take care of the other men.

"As much as I want to be with you, you're not getting out of here alive" Riza stated.

"I love you. And you love me. We can get out of here, if you'd just help me…" Roy pleaded.

"Please, don't make this harder than it already is" she muttered, tears beginning to fall on her cheeks and her voice shaking once more.

Bigger noises were heard, closer to the room they were in. Riza twitched and turned her head around for a moment, lowering the gun slightly. Roy used the moment of inattention to raise his own gun, but Riza turned back to him. Shocked about the gun that was suddenly pointed at her, Riza raised her gun again and fired a shot at Roy. She missed, but Roy reacted by instinct and ducked on the ground, firing at Riza. However, he didn't miss. He got her right in the stomach, making Riza stumble on her feet and fall to the ground. Roy dropped his gun and ran to Riza, taking her gently in his arms.

"Riza, Riza please, oh god, please don't…"Roy stuttered.

Her ivory dress started to get red where he shot her, blood dripping for the wound to the ground. Roy tried his best to put pressure on it to stop the blood from flowing, but he couldn't do much if he didn't get her to a hospital soon. More noises could be heard, getting closer to then. Roy hold Riza close to him, rocking her gently in his arms. Riza squeezed his arm weakly and looked up at him with a weak smile.

"I love you, Roy" she confessed.

Roy leaned down and kissed her softly, feeling a faint taste of blood on Riza's lips. He then felt a sharp pain right under his chest. Confused, he leaned back and looked down to see that Riza still had the gun in her hand and it was pointing right at him. Blood appeared on Roy's shirt and he soon began to feel dizzy. His vision blurred and the last thing he saw was Riza smiling at him, tears still falling. He fell down on her. He still heard noises and could figure that the men following him had entered the room where they were hiding. He heard voices, but couldn't understand. He vaguely heard them saying something about burning the place down.

He turned his head to Riza, but his vision was too blurred to really see anything. He felt the room getting hotter. He saw the room getting lighter, fire flickering in front of him. He felt the flames licking his feet but couldn't feel the pain. All he felt was the heat. The heat and Riza's body under him. He smiled. He loved her, no matter what. She loved him. And they couldn't be together, at least, they would die together. Roy breathed once last time, satisfied. At least, the flames would engulf them both, leaving no traces of their guilt behind. And when the flames would go out, nothing would be left, like nothing had ever happened. No guilt, no pain, nothing.


End file.
